to  iiitaiMim  nf  Natural  ijtatorij 


FIELD  MUSEUM  OF  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

PUBLICATION   182. 
ORNITHOLOGICAL  SERIES.  VOL.  I,  No.  8. 


DESCRIPTIONS    OF    NEW    BIRDS 

FROM  SOUTH  AMERICA  AND 

ADJACENT  ISLANDS 


BY 

CHARLES    B.  CORY 
Curator  of  Department  of  Zoology. 


CHICAGO,  U.  S.  A. 

February  23,   1915. 


DESCRIPTIONS   OF   NEW   BIRDS   FROM   SOUTH 
AMERICA  AND   ADJACENT   ISLANDS 


BY  CHARLES  B.  CORY 


The  following  apparently  new  birds  were  contained  in  collections 
secured  by  members  of  the  various  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 
South  American  Expeditions.  Less  than  half  of  the  material  so  far 
received  has  been  studied,  and,  as  the  final  detailed  report  of  the  col- 
lections will  not  be  ready  for  publication  for  several  months,  it  is  de- 
sirable to  give  advance  descriptions  of  the  novelties  which  from  time 
to  time  may  be  discovered. 

Crypturus  tataupa  peruviana  subsp.  nov. 

Type  from  San  Ramon,  west  central  Peru  (alt.  about  2900  ft.). 
Adult  male,  No.  47123,  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History.  Collected 
by  M.  P.  Anderson,  June  2,  1914. 

Similar  to  Crypturus  tataupa  tataupa,  but  differs  in  having  the 
chestnut  brown  of  the  upper  parts  decidedly  darker  (with  a  slight 
vinaceous  tinge  in  some  lights).  Breast  more  slaty  gray;  the  brown 
central  markings  on  the  feathers  of  the  flanks  much  darker  brown,  and 
the  black  markings  on  the  under  tail  coverts  heavier. 

Wing,  127;  tarsus,  36;  bill,  22  mm. 

Nothoprocta  ambigua  sp.  nov. 

Type  from  Hda.  Llagueda,  N.  E.  of  Otusco,  Peru.  Adult  male, 
No.  47157,  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History.  Collected  by  W.  H. 
Osgood  and  M.  P.  Anderson,  March  16,  1912. 

Feathers  of  the  upper  parts  broadly  edged  with  gray,  the  gray 
edging  separated  from  the  central  black  portion  on  most  of  the  feathers 
by  a  narrow  line  of  buff;  central  portion  of  the  feathers  black,  irregu- 
larly marked  in  the  middle  and  vermiculated  at  the  tips  with  brown, 
the  markings  being  smaller,  darker  and  much  less  ochraceous  rufous 
than  in  N.  curmrostris;  feathers  of  the  crown  with  black  centers  edged 
with  rufous  brown;  feathers  of  the  nape  edged  with  tawny  buff;  lores, 

293 


294     FIELD  MUSEUM  OF  NATURAL  HISTORY  —  ORNITHOLOGY,  VOL.  I. 

throat  and  sides  of  the  head  buff,  the  feathers  of  the  throat  tipped  with 
pale  brown;  a  narrow  black  streak  extends  from  the  base  of  the.  lower 
mandible  to  below  the  ear  coverts;  breast  and  upper  portion  of  sides  of 
body  silvery  gray,  the  bases  of  the  feathers  tawny  ochraceous  and  with 
a  central  spot  of  the  same  color  ;  rest  of  under  parts  pale  tawny  ochra- 
ceous, palest  on  the  middle  of  the  abdomen,  most  of  the  feathers  with 
obscure  buffy  white  edges;  thighs  barred  with  pale  brown;  general 
coloration  and  marking  of  wings  approaching  N.  curvirostris,  but  the 
wing  coverts  more  grayish. 

Wing,  140;  tarsus,  39;  culmen,  about  90  mm.  (tip  of  bill  broken). 

The  single  specimen  before  me  is  apparently  different  from  any 
known  Peruvian  species.  I  have  not  seen  N.  fulvescens  and  N.  moebiusi 
of  Berlepsch,  but,  judging  from  the  published  descriptions,  they  are 
quite  different. 

Odontophorus  plumbeicollis  sp.  nov. 

Type  from  Serra  Baturite,  Ceara,  Brazil.  Male,  No.  47124,  Field 
Museum  of  Natural  History.  Collected  by  R.  H.  Becker,  July  21, 


Nearest  to  Odontophorus  capueira,  with  plain  unspotted  under  parts 
and  outer  webs  of  primaries  barred  with  white.  Crest  long,  the  middle 
feathers  more  than  one  inch  in  length;  crown  of  head  and  crest  olive 
brown,  all  except  the  longest  middle  crest  feathers  with  whitish  shaft 
lines,  the  latter  more  or  less  distinctly  vermiculated  with  black;  fore- 
head and  superciliary  stripe  extending  to  occiput,  reddish  brown  as  in 
capueira;  rest  of  the  upper  parts  similar  to  capueira  but  more  gray  and 
less  brownish,  especially  on  the  nape;  upper  back,  rump,  chin,  and  throat 
smoky  gray  or  dark  lead  color  bordered  by  a  narrow  black  line  below 
the  bare  skin  around  the  eye  ;  ear  coverts  blackish  gray  ;  rest  of  under 
parts  brownish  gray  with  a  slight  olive  tinge.  Upper  tail  coverts  brown- 
ish olive  marked  with  more  or  less  black  bordering  the  shafts;  tail 
feathers  dull  black,  somewhat  vermiculated,  especially  along  the  outer 
edges,  with  brownish  olive. 

Wing,  152;  tail,  80;  tarsus,  38;  middle  toe  and  claw,  46  mm. 

Columba   rufina    andersoni  subsp.  nov. 

Type  from  Serra  da  Lua,  near  Boa  Vista,  northern  Brazil.  Male, 
No.  46932,  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History.  Collected  by  M.  P. 
Anderson,  May  8,  1913. 

Similar  to  C.  r.  sylvestris,  but  decidedly  smaller  and  with  subterminal 


FEB.,  1915.        NEW  SOUTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS —7  CORY.  295 

part  of  tail  feathers  only  very  faintly  tinged  with  blackish.  Differs 
from  C.  rufina  rufina  in  having  the  lower  abdomen  and  under  tail  coverts 
slate  gray,  nearly  as  in  sylvestris. 

Wing,  171;  tail,  114;  tarsus,  22;  bill,  15  mm. 

Columba  rufina  tobagensis  subsp.  nov. 

Type  from  Tobago  Island.  Adult  male,  No.  47127,  Field  Museum 
of  Natural  History.  Collected  by  W.  W.  Brown,  May  10,  1882. 

Nearest  to  C.  r.  palUdicrissa  Chubb  from  Central  America,  but  hav- 
ing the  abdomen  more  extensively  whitish  and  the  under  tail  coverts 
purer  white;  back  deeper  vinaceous  chestnut  rufous,  and  forehead  and 
greater  portion  of  the  crown  like  the  back. 

Wing,  190;  tail,  128;  tarsus,  20  mm. 

So  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  learn,  this  bird  has  never  received  a 
name,  and  yet  it  is  quite  different  from  birds  which  I  have  examined 
from  Venezuela  and  British  Guiana. 

Columba   plumbea    propinqua  subsp.  nov. 

Type  from  Moyobamba,  Peru.  Adult  male,  No.  44068,  Field 
Museum  of  Natural  History.  Collected  by  W.  H.  Osgood  and  M.  P. 
Anderson,  July  20,  1912. 

Similar  to  C.  plumbea  plumbea  of  Brazil,  with  uniform  colored 
primaries,  but  under  parts  somewhat  more  vinaceous,  the  bill  shorter 
and  heavier  and  the  wings  longer.  From  C.  p.  pallescens  it  differs  in 
having  the  under  parts  darker,  bill  larger  and  the  purplish  vinaceous 
coloration  on  the  region  of  the  nape  darker  and  less  extensive.  From 
bogotensis  of  Berlepsch  &  Leverkiihn  it  may  be  distinguished  at  a  glance 
in  lacking  the  cinnamon  rufous  tinge  on  the  under  wing  coverts,  the 
uniform  primaries  and  absence  of  any  cinnamon  rufous  on  under  tail 
coverts,  more  olive  back  and  wings,  etc.,  etc. 

Wing,  180;  tail,  152;  tarsus,  24;  bill,  16  mm. 

Columba  subvinacea   zulias  subsp.  nov. 

Type  from  Orope,  Zulia,  Venezuela.  Adult  male,  No.  34473,  Field 
Museum  of  Natural  History.  Collected  by  N.  Dearborn,  March  2, 
1908. 

Similar  to  C.  s.  berlepschi  but  larger;  lower  back  and  wing  coverts 
much  less  purplish  than  in  berlepschi,  and  browner ;  with  a  more  purplish 
tinge  and  with  less  of  an  olive  tinge  than  in  purpureotincta. 

Wing,  164;  tail,  127;  bill,  13  mm. 


296    FIELD  MUSEUM  OF  NATURAL  HISTORY  —  ORNITHOLOGY,  VOL.  I. 

Aramides  cajanea    venezuelensis  subsp.  nov. 

Type  from  Encontrados,  Venezuela.  Adult  male,  No.  34472,  Field 
Museum  of  Natural  History.  Collected  by  N.  Dearborn,  February  n, 
1908. 

Similar  to  Aramides  cajanea  cajanea  from  Guiana,  but  entire  crown 
of  head  dull  brown,  becoming  slightly  grayish  brown  on  the  forehead  but 
not  distinctly  so  as  in  chiricote;  axillars  and  under  wing  coverts  much 
paler  rufous  and  less  heavily  banded  with  black. 

Wing,  1 80;  tarsus,  69;  bill  (culmen),  51  mm. 

Aramides   cajanea   peruviana   subsp.  nov. 

Type  from  Moyobamba,  Peru.  Adult  female,  No.  44019,  Field 
Museum  of  Natural  History.  Collected  by  W.  H.  Osgood  and  M.  P. 
Anderson,  August  2,  1912. 

Similar  to  Aramides  cajanea  cajanea,  but  differs  in  having  the  back 
and  scapulars  much  more  grayish  olive,  the  crown  grayish  tinged  with 
smoky  brown  at  the  base;  under  wing  coverts  and  axillars  about  the 
same  color  as  in  cajanea  cajanea,  but  the  black  markings  much  heavier. 

Wing,  184;  tarsus,  75;  bill,  51  mm. 

Cerchneis  sparverius  peruviana  subsp.  nov. 

Type  from  Chachapoyas,  Peru.  Adult  male,  No.  47126,  Field 
Museum  of  Natural  History.  Collected  by  W.  H.  Osgood  and  M.  P. 
Anderson,  June  5,  1912. 

Crown  dark  slate  color,  with  black  central  streaks  to  the  feathers; 
back  vinaceous  rufous;  tail  brighter  and  more  cinnamon  rufous;  breast 
ochraceous  rufous,  becoming  paler  on  sides  of  body  and  shading  to  pale 
ochraceous  buff  on  the  abdomen;  buffy  white  on  thighs  and  under  tail 
coverts;  sides  of  body  and  flanks  with  large  rounded  black  spots;  a  few 
narrow  elongated  black  spots  on  the  abdomen,  largely  confined  to  the 
middle  of  the  feathers ;  under  wing  coverts  white  with  a  few  black  spots 
largely  confined  to  the  inner  portion;  tail  feathers  tipped  with  whitish; 
inner  web  of  outer  tail  feather  rufous  with  one  subterminal  band  of 
black,  the  tip  white;  outer  web  white  with  several  very  narrow  longi- 
tudinal streaks  of  black  bordering  the  shaft. 

Wing,  178;  tail,  132;  tarsus,  35  mm. 

Peruvian  specimens  (males)  from  Mirador,  Macate,  Menocucho, 
Chachapoyas,  and  Balsas,  apparently  represent  this  subspecies.  The 
measurements  of  the  males  from  Chachapoyas,  Balsas,  and  Macate  are 
about  the  same:  wing,  177  to  181 ;  tail,  131  to  135.  Those  from  Mirador 
and  Menocucho  are  somewhat  larger:  wing,  183  to  185;  tail,  136  to  140. 


FEB.,  1915.       NEW  SOUTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS  —  CORY.  297 

Cerchneis  sparverius  distincta    subsp.  nov. 

Type  from  Boa  Vista,  Rio  Branco,  Brazil.  Adult  male,  No.  47128, 
Field  Museum  of  Natural  History.  Collected  by  M.  P.  Anderson, 
November  27,  1912. 

Nearest  to  C.  s.  isabellina  of  British  Guiana  in  coloration  of 
under  parts  and  tail  feathers,  but  wings  and  tail  longer  and  crown 
much  paler  gray. 

Back  ochraceous  cinnamon  rufous,  more  cinnamon  rufous  than  in 
peruviana.  Crown  ashy  gray  and  without  streaks;  chest  pale  ochraceous 
tawny,  becoming  whitish  on  the  abdomen  and  buffy  white  on  the 
flanks  and  under  tail  coverts;  under  parts  unspotted;  under  wing 
coverts  white,  without  black  spots  (some  specimens  show  a  few  small 
blackish  spots  on  the  extreme  inner  portion);  outer  web  of  outer  tail 
feather  white  (some  specimens  have  very  narrow  black  streaks  border- 
ing the  shaft) ;  inner  web  of  outer  tail  feather  largely  rufous,  shading  to 
whitish  towards  .the  edge,  with  one  black  subterminal  band,  the  tip 
white;  tips  of  all  except  the  outer  tail  feathers  white  in  the  middle, 
bordered  with  rufous. 

Wing,  182;  tail,  130;  tarsus,  33  mm. 

Average  measurements  of  four  males:  Wing,  181;  tail,  130  mm. 

Cerchneis    sparverius    margaritensis  subsp.  nov. 

Type    from    Margarita    Island.     Adult    male,    No.  38814,    Field. 
Museum  of  Natural  History.     Collected  by  J.  F.  Ferry,  February  20, 
1909. 

Breast  and  more  or  less  of  abdomen  tawny  buff  (darker  and  more 
strongly  colored  than  in  C.  s.  distincta  or  •isabellina);  lower  abdomen 
and  flanks  much  paler,  being  merely  tinged  with  buff;  under  parts 
without  black  spots  (some  specimens  have  a  few  spots  on  the  sides, 
which  are  concealed  when  the  wing  is  closed);  under  wing  coverts 
white,  with  a  few  black  spots  largely  confined  to  the  inner  portion; 
back  vinaceous  cinnamon  rufous,  approaching  in  color  that  of  C.  s. 
brevipennis;  inner  web  of  outer  tail  feather  dull  white,  with  several 
black  bands  (four  in  the  type  specimen) ;  outer  web  of  outer  tail,  feather 
whitish,  with  narrow  black  streaks  bordering  the  shaft. 

Wing,  170;  tail,  129;  tarsus,  32  mm. 

The  length  of  the  wing,  paler  under  parts  and  much  less  marked 
under  wing  coverts  will  distinguish  this  form  from  C.  s.  brevipennis; 
and  the  coloration  and  markings  of  the  outer  tail  feather  and  deeper 
colored  under  parts  will  distinguish  it  from  C.  s.  isabellina.  From 
C.  s.  distincta  it  differs  in  its  much  darker  crown;  deeper  colored  under 


298    FIELD  MUSEUM  OF  NATURAL  HISTORY  —  ORNITHOLOGY,  VOL.  I. 

parts;  shorter  wing  and  tail  and  different  coloration  and  marking  of  the 
outer  tail  feathers. 

Average  measurements  of  four  males:  Wing,  181;  tail,  130  mm. 

Average  measurements  of  three  females:  Wing,  185;  tail  132  mm. 

Cerchneis   sparverius  ochracea  subsp.  nov. 

Type  from  Colon,  Tachira,  western  Venezuela.  Adult  male,  No. 
47129,  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History.  Collected  by  M.  P.  Ander- 
son, December  n,  1913. 

Greater  portion  of  under  parts  deep  ochraceous  rufous,  becoming 
ochraceous  buff  on  thighs  and  pale  ochraceous  buff  on  under  tail  coverts; 
black  spots  on  under  parts  confined  to  sides  of  body  and  nearly  or  quite 
concealed' when  wing  is  closed;  crown  dark  slaty  gray,  darker  than  in 
brevipennis,  and  about  the  same  as  in  peruviana,  but  without  the  broad 
black  centers  to  the  feathers;  general  color  of  upper  wing  coverts  slaty 
gray,  paler  than  the  crown;  inner  web  of  outer  tail  feather  rufous,  with 
one  subterminal  band  of  black  and  grayish  white  tip;  outer  web  of  outer 
tail  feather  ashy  white,  with  several  very  narrow  black  streaks  bordering 
the  shaft. 

Wing,  190;  tail,  134;  tarsus,  34  mm. 

In  addition  to  the  above  described  subspecies  of  Cerchneis  spar- 
verius, it  is  probable  that  at  least  two  more  new  forms  will  ultimately 
be  added  to  the  list.  A  key  to  the  various  subspecies,  giving  their 
known  geographical  distribution,  together  with  critical  notes  regarding 
the  stability  of  certain  distinguishing  characters,  will  be  given  in  the 
detailed  report  of  the  collections  now  being  prepared. 

Otus  choliba   margaritae  subsp.  nov. 

Type  from  Margarita  Island,  Venezuela.  Adult  female,  No.  38808, 
Field  Museum  of  Natural  History.  Collected  by  J.  F.  Ferry,  March  3, 
1909. 

Similar  to  0.  c.  crucigerus  from  Guiana,  but  smaller  and  somewhat 
paler  and  the  quadrate  pale  markings  on  outer  primaries  much  more 
white. 

Wing,  150;  tail,  85;  tarsus,  29  mm. 

In  1909*  I  called  attention  to  the  small  size  of  the  specimens  of  this 

bird  from  Margarita  Island,  but  hesitated  to  separate  it  subspecifically. 

Since  then  more  material  has  been  secured.     The  Margarita  owl  is 

smaller  and  paler  in  general  coloration  and  the  markings  on  the  primaries 

*  Field  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.  Publ.,  Ornith.  Ser.,  I,  1909,  p.  242  (Pisorhina  choliba). 


FEB.,  1915.       NEW  SOUTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS  —  CORY.  299 

are  whiter  than  in  specimens  from  Georgetown,  Guiana,  and  western 
Venezuela.  I  have  not  seen  specimens  of  0.  roraimce  Salvin,  which 
from  the  description  would  seem  to  be  nearest  this  form,  but  on  account 
of  the  widely  separated  habitat  of  the  two  forms  it  would  be  surprising 
if  they  should  prove  to  be  the  same. 


Speotyto  cunicularia  arubensis  subsp.  nov. 

Type  from  Aruba  Island,  Windward  Islands.  Adult  female,  No. 
38126,  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History.  Collected  by  J.  F.  Ferry, 
May  5,  1908. 

Nearest  to  5.  c.  brachyptera  Richmond,  but  differs  in  being  larger  and 
in  having  the  brown  markings  darker  (more  umber  brown).  Outer 
tail  feather  dull  white,  washed  slightly  with  pale  buff  on  the  inner  web 
and  having  two  or  three  very  pale  brown  irregular  spots  confined  to  the 
middle  of  the  feather;  entire  outer  portion  of  the  outer  web  white  for  at 
least  half  of  its  width  as  well  as  the  greater  portion  of  the  inner  web; 
buffy  white  markings  on  the  middle  rectrices  form  incomplete  bars  or 
rather  lateral  oblong  spots  on  each  side  of  the  shaft  and  do  not  reach 
the  edge  of  the  webs ;  the  buffy  whitish  blotches  on  the  basal  half  of  the 
outer  web  of  the  outer  primary  not  connected  as  in  5.  c.  brachyptera; 
front  of  tarsus  very  scantily  feathered,  the  lower  portion  being  almost 
bare.  Differs  from  5.  c.  tolima  in  being  larger,  less  whitish  on  the 
throat,  differently  marked  tail  feathers  and  other  characters. 

Wing,  164;  tail,  75;  tarsus,  45  mm. 

Average  measurements  of  five  specimens  from  Aruba  Island:  Males 
—  Wing,  159;  tail,  73;  tarsus,  43  mm.  Females  —  Wing,  163;  tail,  75; 
tarsus,  44  mm. 

Speotyto  cunicularia  beckeri  subsp.  nov. 

Type  from  Sao  Marcello,  Rio  Preto,  Bahia,  Brazil.  Adult  female, 
No.  47130,  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History.  Collected  by  R.  H. 
Becker,  March  27,  1914. 

Differs  from  5.  c.  cunicularia  from  Chile  in  being  somewhat  smaller, 
the  general  coloration  darker  and  more  rufous  brown  and  the  pale  spots 
on  the  upper  parts  tinged  with  rufous,  the  pale  spots  on  the  crown  much 
smaller;  the  bars  on  the  under  parts  regular  as  in  5.  c.  cunicularia,  but 
much  more  rufous  brown,  and  the  white  bars  more  or  less  tinged  with 
rufous;  whitish  spots  and  bars  on  outer  primaries  smaller;  pale  bars  on 
tail  feathers  decidedly  rufescent;  under  wing  coverts  more  tawny,  and 
front  of  tarsus  less  feathered. 


300     FIELD  MUSEUM  OF  NATURAL  HISTORY  —  ORNITHOLOGY,  VOL.  I. 

Wing,  175;  tail,  80;  tarsus,  48;  culmen,  17  mm. 

This  new  race  may  be  distinguished  at  a  glance  from  5.  c.  cunicularia 
by  its  more  rufous  brown  coloration  and  less  whitish  marking,  but  it 
approaches  nearer  to  it  than  it  does  to  the  northern  Brazilian  form,  which 
I  assume  to  be  5.  c.  grallaria  Temm.  (as  according  to  Spix  the  type  local- 
ity may  have  been  Para).  Brazilian  specimens  from  the  Rio  Branco 
region  and  lower  Amazon  agree  fairly  well  with  Temminck's  description 
and  plate, certainly  much  more  so  than  do  Bahia  specimens.  Birds  from 
the  Rio  Branco,  however,  are  very  similar  to  those  from  Margarita 
Island  (5.  c.  brachyptera  Richmond),  although  they  average  slightly 
darker  and  four  out  of  five  of  the  Rio  Branco  specimens  show  a  few 
inconspicuous  spots  and  irregular  bars  on  the  rump  and  upper  tail 
coverts,  which  are  apparently  wanting  in  Margarita  birds. 

Speotyto  cunicularia  intermedia  subsp.  nov. 

Type  from  Pacasmayo,  Peru.  Female,  No.  44132,  Field  Museum 
of  Natural  History.  Collected  by  W.  H.  Osgood  and  M.  P.  Anderson, 
April  2,  1912. 

Intermediate  between  5.  c.  nanodes  and  S.  c.  puensis;  approaching 
puensis  in  the  coloration  and  markings  of  the  upper  parts  and  nearest 
nanodes  in  the  markings  of  the  under  parts.  From  nanodes  it  differs  in 
having  the  upper  parts  paler  brown  and  a  much  more  whitish  streaked 
appearance  (approaching  puensis},  the  whitish  marking  being  much 
purer  and  less  buffy  and  the  secondaries  being  broadly  tipped  with 
white.  The  under  parts  more  nearly  resemble  nanodes,  being  strongly 
marked  with  brown,  but  in  intermedia  the  irregular  brown  markings 
are  somewhat  heavier  and  extend  lower  down  on  the  flanks.  From  5.  c. 
puensis  it  differs  in  the  heavy  and  more  extensive  brown  markings  on 
the  under  parts  (which  in  puensis  are  very  much  paler  and  narrower  and 
become  almost  obsolete  on  the  lower  abdomen).  The  upper  parts  are 
similar  in  coloration  and  general  marking  with  the  noticeably  large 
amount  of  white  on  the  feathers,  except  on  the  crown,  which  is  darker 
brown  and  the  white  markings  much  less  numerous. 

Wing,  165;  tail,  89;  tarsus,  39  mm. 

Podager  nacunda  minor  subsp.  nov. 

Type  from  Boa  Vista,  Rio  Branco,  Brazil.  Adult  male,  No.  45060, 
Field  Museum  of  Natural  History.  Collected  by  M.  P.  Anderson  and 
R.  H.  Becker,  February  2,  1913. 

Similar  to  Podager  nacunda  but  smaller,  and  the  black  markings  on 
crown  and  scapulars  much  smaller. 


FEB.,  1915.        NEW  SOUTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS  —  CORY.  301 

Wing,  223;  tail,  114;  tarsus,  24  mm. 

The  average  measurements  of  two  females  are:  Wing,  216;  tail,  no; 
tarsus,  22  mm. 


Nyctidromus  albicollis  obscurus  subsp.  nov. 

Type  from  Yurimaguas,  Peru.  Adult  male,  No.  44672,  Field 
Museum  of  Natural  History.  Collected  by  M.  P.  Anderson,  September 
16,  1912. 

Differs  from  both  N.  a.  albicollis  and  N.  a.  derby  anus  in  having  the 
general  coloration  decidedly  darker  and  more  mixed  with  blackish,  the 
under  wing  coverts  much  more  extensively  black  and  less  marked  with 
brown.  The  black  on  wings  and  tail  is  deeper  and  purer  black,  not 
brownish  black  as  in  the  other  subspecies. 

Wing,.  153;  tail,  151;  tarsus,  21  mm. 

Caprimulgus  hirundinaceus  crissalis  subsp.  nov. 

Type  from  Rio  do  Peixe,  near  Queimadas,  Bahia,  Brazil.  Adult 
male,  No.  47158,  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History.  Collected. by 
R.  H.  Becker,  November  28,  1913. 

Similar  to  C.  hirundinaceus  Spix  from  Ceara  and  northeastern  Brazil, 
but  general  plumage  darker  and  more  blackish  especially  on  the  upper 
parts;  under  tail  coverts  distinctly  banded  with  black. 

Wing,  115;  tail,  85;  culmen,  9;  width  of  upper  mandible  at  base, 
6.4  mm. 

Three  specimens  from  the  Rio  do  Peixe  —  compared  with  ten  speci- 
mens of  C.  h.  hirundinaceus  from  northeastern  Brazil. 

Threnetes  longicauda  sp.  nov. 

Type  from  Jua,  near  Iguatu,  Ceara,  Brazil.  Male,  No.  47131, 
Field  Museum  of  Natural  History.  Collected  by  R.  H.  Becker,  Septem- 
ber 2,  1913. 

Crown  dull  grayish  brown,  becorning  rufous  brown  on  the  occiput 
and  nape;  upper  parts  dull  grayish  green,  mixed  with  glittering  green 
when  held  in  the  light  (probably  clear  green  in  adult  breeding  plum- 
age?) ;  feathers  of  the  rump  and  upper  tail  coverts  edged  with  pale 
rufous,  some  of  the  latter  with  whitish  tips;  lores  and  ear  coverts  black; 
chin  and  middle  of  upper  throat  blackish  or  dusky,  rest  of  throat 
ochraceous  cinnamon  buff;  breast  and  under  parts  grayish  buff;  under 
tail  coverts  tawny  buff;  wings  purplish  brown  (similar  to  T.  leucurus). 


302     FIELD  MUSEUM  OF  NATURAL  HISTORY  —  ORNITHOLOGY,  VOL.  I. 

Middle  tail  feathers  bronzy  green,  with  narrow  white  tips  and  a  sub- 
terminal  dusky  area;  the  four  outer  tail  feathers  bronzy  green  on  basal 
portion  for  more  than  half  their  length  and  very  broadly  tipped  with 
white,  the  bronze  green  being  separated  from  the  white  ends  by  an  area 
of  bluish  black;  tail  long  and  very  strongly  graduated  (much  more  so 
than  in  T.  leucurus) ;  upper  mandible  black ;  lower  mandible  pale,  the 
terminal  part  black. 

Wing,  48;  tail,  48;  middle  pair,  48;  outer  feather,  26;  bill,  26  mm. 

This  new  species  has  a  superficial  resemblance  to  Threnetes  leucurus, 
but  the  very  different  tail  alone  will  distinguish  it  at  a  glance.  Indeed 
the  extremely  graduated  and  differently  marked  tail  and  other  charac- 
ters, which  will  be  discussed  in  a  later  paper,  make  it  not  unlikely  that 
it  may  be  found  worthy  of  generic  rank. 


